by Ronnie Nathanielsz

 

In a surprising twist No. 1 ranked minimumweight Denver Cuello has pulled out of a final title eliminator ordered by the WBC against No. 2 ranked Saul Juarez with the winner to face world champion Wanheng Menayothin.

 

World Boxing Council president Mauricio Sulaiman informed the New Standard/BoxingScene.com early Saturday that Cuello had pulled out of the title eliminator because “he couldn’t make the weight.”

 

Cuello’s manager / trainer Aljoe Jaro had earlier failed TO  enter the purse Bid after he had failed to come to terms with Juarez’ handlers enabling Kuchle to win the b id with a low $15,000 offer which Sulaiman himself termed disappointing.

 

Cuello was favored to beat Juarez who had previously lost a twelve round unanimous decision to Milan Melindo in an IBF light flyweight eliminator on November 15, 2014 but came back to win by an 8th round TKO over Adrian Hernandez when Hernandez suffered a nasty cut and the ringside physician directed the referee to stop the fight last May 30.

 

In a rematch on August 8, Juarez won a ten round split decision over Hernandez which presumably was used to justify his surge to the No. 2 ranking.

 

The 28 year old Cuello who lost by a majority decision to China’s world champion Zhao Xong Xiong in Dubai on June 28, 2013 dislocated his shoulder after one round and gallantly batted to the end effectively with one arm.

 

He underwent surgery at the Makati Medical Center on his return and resumed fighting one year later, winning three bouts in a row, all by stoppages.